BUSHWICK, Brooklyn (WABC) — Con Edison is still trying to restore electricity to customers in Brooklyn after a mixture of snow and salt seeped underground and knocked out power to hundreds in Bushwick. A similar issue plagued customers in Boerum Hill and Park Slope last week.
“I’ve been cold all night long, I kept seeing things flicker, I said ‘what is going on now?'” said Vernice Biggs.
82-year-old Biggs is in the dark at her home on Decatur Street in Bushwick.
An army of Con Edison crews has been working around the clock trying to restore power since Saturday evening.
It was the exact same situation in a different part of Brooklyn one week ago. The problem is the utility company says salt on the roads continues mixing with melting snow and is seeping underground, essentially eating away at the electrical system.
“I’m checking the annex – PS 45 annex, the superintendent building, to make sure they have power,” said Anthony Thompson.
Thompson said the power is on inside PS 45, but that is not the case just up the block at the superintendent’s office.
“It’s horrible, they charge us a fortune to pay our bills. $1,000 light bill. My mom got a $1,500 light bill – it’s unacceptable,” said Vernice Biggs’ daughter, Sonia.
Vernice is with her daughter, Sonia and it has been a rough 24 hours with little or no electricity.
“All the food we have is going to go bad – I don’t know how long. These guys have been out here since 9 last night,” Sonia says.
For now, residents are trying to figure out when this will end, while thinking what plan B looks like.
“My wheels are turning – I’m a family guy and I want to look after my family, so thinking of going upstate and starting a fire somewhere,” said Joseph Duplantier.
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